International Consultant to Support Gender in Community Health and Immunization Portfolio at UNICEF

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Scope of Work

Goal and objective:

• The overarching goal of the consultancy is to strengthen gender and immunization programming at both the RO and CO level. The consultant will provide critical support in evidence generation and analysis, stakeholder advocacy, documentation of regional learnings, and technical support to gender activities under different grants (i.e., CanGive, GAC, GAVI, 7% set aside fund for HPV+ programming).

Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered:

• This assignment will contribute to strengthen technical assistance to COs as per AWP 240R/A0/11/880/009/012 as well as ensure regional cross-sectoral coordination and engagement centering gender equality in health-related gender initiatives AWP PCR/IR 240R/A0/11/880/008/011.

Activities and Tasks:

• Analytical review and mapping of gender integration in community health policies across 21 countries in ESAR.
• Conduct a gender review of national community health policies across ESAR countries, including identifying gaps and opportunities for the integration of gender responsive/transformative approaches, as well as specific consideration related to needs of adolescent girls.
• Carry out both desk review and key-informant interviews with recommended countries and partners to identify promising practices associated with the gaps identified in the mapping.
• Consolidate recommendations to address the identified gaps, targeting policymakers and practitioners.
• Sub-deliverables include an inception report (including workplan, methodology, and assessment framework), draft report, final report, and a validation workshop with relevant colleagues and stakeholders.

Stakeholder engagement and advocacy

• Based on the scoping review and synthesized evidence (including some led by other sections and HQ), the consultant will lead and design stakeholder engagements and advocacy efforts on gender-transformative community health. This includes coordinating a “South to South” learning event convening governmental focal points with other stakeholders from community level (CSOs, Women and Girls Organizations) and from regional-continental level (e.g., AU, Africa CDC, Gavi).
• The learning event will be completed through a study tour/ field visit on gender and community health model in the country identified to host the learning event (potentially Ethiopia or Kenya)

Regional learning documentation

• Document best practices, lessons learned, and challenges related to gender integration in immunization and community health within the region.
• Lead on webinars and/or knowledge sharing sessions to facilitate the sharing of gender-responsive approaches across countries.

Provide technical support on gender in immunization and community health.

• Serve as a technical ‘helpdesk’ for COs on gender activities in immunization, including providing expertise in integrating gender considerations into the planning, implementation, and monitoring of immunization and community health programs.
• Support inter-sectoral coordination with COs on the HPV+ agenda.
• Conduct mapping of gender activities under different grants (CanGive, GAC, GAVI, 7% HPV+) within the region.

Work relationships

• The consultant will work primarily with the ESARO Gender and ADAP Section, while engaging other RO colleagues from other sections especially Health/Immunization, HIV-SRHR and SBC. The consultant will also have regular engagements with gender and immunization colleagues at COs and with relevant colleagues at HQ and in WCARO. Finally, the consultant will engage externally with stakeholders on gender in immunization and community health.

Desired Competencies, Technical Background And Experience

• At least a master’s degree in the following or related fields: global health, public health, health policy and management, with demonstrated competency on gender.
• At least 8 years of proven experience in integrating gender-transformative considerations into health programmes, preferably in the context of immunization and community health.
• Strong experience in writing reports, documentation to convey programming efforts, conducting key informant interviews, facilitating workshops/discussions and documenting case studies in an international development context.

Must exhibit the UNICEF Core Values of:

Care

• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability
• Excellent oral and written English required;
• Good understanding of AU and other African Institutions is required.
• Previous experience working in development settings with an international organization and/or civil society organizations in Africa is an asset.

Core competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Administrative issues

• The consultant is expected to be remotely based with at least one travel (likely in Kenya or Ethiopia) for which the UNICEF office would cover subsistence allowances and travel costs.
• The consultant should schedule monthly update meetings with the supervisor to ensure progress, in addition to meetings planned to support implementation of the agreed deliverables.